Combination packing and display



Nov. 8,-1949 F. F. FLUSS ET AL COMBINATION PACKING AND DISPLAY DEVICEFiled May 21, 1946 W QM? m K .iiiiiii a 5 1% m Z W HIM a J m x Y p W5 UE V Fe \m NRM whfiimw I, A

Patented Nov. 8, 1949 COMBINATION PACKING AND DISPLAY DEVICE Felix F.Fluss, New York, N. Y., and George J ellinek, Plainfield, N. J.

Application May 21, 1946, Serial No. 671,378

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to combination packing and displaydevices and more particularly to devices or plates for carrying anddisplaying bulky and, preferably elongated articles, such as racks,towel bars, kitchen utensils, such as ladles, egg-heaters, irregularlyshaped products of the hardware line, such as fixtures, tools, etc.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide means affording avery compact, inexpensive and space saving holding and display device ofthe aforesaid character on which one or a plurality of the aforesaidarticles may be quickly mounted for packing and/or display purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide means facilitating simpleaccommodation and effective display of a number of towel bars or likearticles on said device and permitting the attachment of such articlesin their operative position to said device and for ready removaltherefrom. Still another object of the invention resides in theprovision of means for placing two holding devices in predeterminedrelation to each other with portions of said articles nested orextending therebetween in web-like fashion, so that a rigid packingstructure is obtained which can be easily manipulated for the insertionin a carton or container for transporting, as well as for storingpurposes.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide meanspermitting rapid packing of two or more carrying devices holdingarticles, each two of said devices facing each other when packed withina box for shipping or like purposes.

Yet, another object of the present invention resides in the provision ofmeans integral with the holding device and permitting the arrangement ofarticles to be displayed thereon in locked position and for readyremoval therefrom.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means forholding or carrying towel bars or like articles in a desired and orderlyfashion, the articles being preferably arranged in staggered relation toeach other, so that the holding device may be made of cardboard,corrugated board and the like, which will be braced and stiffened by thearticles mounted thereon.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for carryingthe aforesaid articles in an efficient manner, clearly arranged to eachother and for the purpose intended, so that the purchaser will get anidea how to attach and to use the article or articles on display.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means forobtaining holding devices which are neat in appearance, simple inconstruction, easy and inexpensive to manufacture by mass productionmethods, such as stamping and scoring operations, and which fulfill allpractical requirements for stacking said devices with as well as withoutarticles thereon and for packing and shipping the same.

Yet, a further object of the invention is to provide method and meansfor inexpensively packing articles having irregular contours orprojecting parts, said means preventing said articles or their coatingsfrom being marred or damaged during storage or transportation, andcontributing t an equalization and reduction of pressure exerted on thepacked articles when in transport.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means dispensingwith any tissue or other wrappin materials, but assuring nevertheless asafe and statically well balanced packing of the aforesaid articles.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear fromthe following disclosure thereof together with the attached drawingwhich illustrates certain embodiments of said invention. Theseembodiments are shown for the purpose of illustrating the inventionsince the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which the invention consists, can be variouslyarranged and organized. The invention is therefore not limited to theprecise arangement and organization of the parts herein shown anddescribed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the underface of the holding device made inaccordance with this invention, parts of said device being broken awayto show details thereof;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of Fig. 1illustrating the assembly of two holding devices arranged in opposedrelation and contained within a shipping receptacle.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the assembly of Fig. 2, with a section throughthe holding devices (the receptacle and side flaps of the holdingdevices being omitted) Fig. 4 is a perspective view (on a reduced scale)of the holding device of Fig. 1 with towel bars mounted thereon;

- Fig. 5 is a section of a modified embodiment of the invention in theform of a molded holding device, illustrated in perspective and showingone of the towel bars inserted therein;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view through two oppositelydisposed devices of the type seen in Fig. 6 and made in accordance withthis invention, towel bars being contained within molded holdingdevices.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. ithe rear face of a substantially flat holding device or plate 10 madefrom cardboard, corrugated board and the like. Plate it! comprises amedian or portion H and two side flaps l2 and I3 integral with andswingably attached at scored side edges or folds l4 and E5 to portion IIof plate M. The main portion H is provided with a row of staggeredelongated slots l6, ll, l3, I9, .20 and 21 which terminate in lateraldirections, respectively, in smaller slots lBa, l6b; Ha, llb, etc.,communicating with respective enlarged substantially round perforationsI60, IEd; l'lc, 11d, etc.

As seen in Fig. 1, there project, for example, through slots l1, l8 andI9 for spaced arrangement from the front face 3! of plate l0 respectivetowel bars 22, 23 and 24 of substantially U-shaped formation. 'Each ofthe towel bars 22, 23 and 2 is provided with lateral, substantiallyparallel arms terminating, respectively, into shields or flange pieces22a, 22b; 23a, 23b and 24a, 24b which latter come to lie for abutment insubstantially flat condition against the rear face of plate portion H.In this position the lateral parallel arms of the towel bars passthrough perforations I To, l'ld; l8c, Md and Na, I9d, respectively. Inorder to maintain flange pieces 22a, 22b; 23a, 23b and 24a, 24b of thetowel bars in .abutting relation with the rear face of plate portion H,side flaps l2 and 13 may be swung about folds l4 and I5, respectively,for engagement with the rear faces of the aforesaid flange pieces, asillustrated in Fig. 1.

It will also be noticed from Fig.1 that side flaps l2 and I3 areprovided with tongue-like members 25, .26, 2'! and 28, 2-9, 30. Thesetongue-likemembers are substantially in alignment with the respectiveslots l6 to 21, inclusive.

As can be further seen from Figs. 1 and 2, these tongue-like members maybe brought into engagement with respective slots of the plate portion Hso that the flange pieces of the towel bars will be retained in positionon the rear face of said plate. If desired, the free ends of saidtongue-like members may be bent inwardly and folded over the front faceof plate portion H to assure an improved fixation of the side flaps l2,7

H in superposed position on the rear face of said plate portion H.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of the holding plateof Fig. .1, modified, however, in that two holding plates I0, lilasareshown in Fig. 2 with their front parts 3| and 32 facing each other, butarranged with the slots l6, H, i8, i9, 20, 2! in opposed relation toslots--36, 31, 38, 39., 48, M so that the row of successive-slots 16 to2! provided in plate H! and the row of corresponding slots 36 to 41provided in plate 10a will not register with one another, but rather liein out-of-ali'gnment position to each other or are staggered withrespect to each other so that when all the slots-of both plates H3, Hlaare employed for holding or carrying towel bars thereon, the six towelbars within the slots on one plate will, .in this instance, not .abutagainst the. six towel bars mounted on the opposite plate.

on plate Illa and projecting'beyond slots 39 and I 40. Since theprojecting transverse front portions of all towel bars will abut againstthe front faces- 31, 32. of the oppositely disposed holding plates atrespective plate locations defined between each two adjacent slots, avery sturdy packing structure is attained in which the two holdingplates ll], Illa are held in firm and spaced relation to each other bysaid projecting transverse front portions of said towel bars.

Consequently, two holding plates of the aforesaid type may thus besubstantially undisplaced- 1y arranged to each other with said towelbars nested or mounted thereon and then slid into a suitable container35 for shipping and like purposes. The retaining side flaps L2 and i3further contribute to sturdily position said article holding plates It,18a within said container and at or adjacent opposite sidewalls 35a, 35bof the latter (Figs. 2 and 3).

As can be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, each towel bar, generally designatedb numeral consists of the transversely extending front portion or rod 51with lateral substantially parallel arms 52, 53 which terminate inrespective flange pieces 54, 55.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of the embodiment oftheinvention shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Holding devices 61], 65a coact with each other and are molded fromcellulcsic material, eachv device comprising a plurality of recessed. orU- shaped elements 6!, 62, respectively, vjoined together byinterconnecting bridge or strap portions 63. Each element is so formedas to receive within its U-shap'ed' recess 64 the lateral arms 52', 53and the forward transverse portion or rod 51, whereas flange pieces "54,55 are held within hollowsEB interconnected by slot 51 provided in thebase 58 of each of the devices 69, 60a. It is preferred to providehollows or recesses 56 of sufficient depth that flange pieces 54; 55will be positioned substantially flush with the outer surface 58a ofbase 58'. As can be seen from Fig. 6, strap portions 63 are eachprovided with a notch 5'9 for accommodating or nesting therein therounded edge 5% of a corresponding element 6| or 62.

Thus, a plurality of equally shaped articles, such as towel bars, may bepositioned within recesses 64 of said: holding elements 6i and '62 ofthe 'res-pectiveholding devices 619 and 66a, which latter may then: benested in: each other, as seen in Fig. *6, by the engagement of therounded edges 5811' within notches 59 so that both holding devices 60,60a may then be inserted or slid into a container 35 which is similar inconstruction to that drawn on an enlarged scale and-shown inFig. 2. I

The devices shown in Figs. 5 and 6 can be manufactured or molded fromwood pulp, fibrous material or any other mold-able, inexpensive materialand can beeasily severed-from the remainder of the holding device 9001-6011, as the case maybaat notches 59.

The devices herein described are particularly useful for packing.aswellasdisplay purposesof various articles preferably of irregularcontours, which are to be packed in conventional rectangular or squarecardboard boxes. It is, however, obvious that the carrier or plate meanson which the respective articles are to be mounted for packing or displapurposes may be modified or changed in order to comply with theparticular shape of the article or articles, it being understood thatthe characteristic features herein disclosed are substantiallymaintained when making such changes.

Many advantages result from the structure of these devices since thearticles or items have not to be individually wrapped and put in saidbox or container for transporting purposes whereby valuable space wouldbe taken up by the wrappings and arrangement of the loose, bulkyarticles within such box.

The carrier means herein employed are made up for a definite number ofarticles to be mounted thereon so that counting of the articles isgreat- 1y facilitated.

The assembly of several carriers or plates may be effectuated in anefficient and simplified manner by placing each two carriers or platesin such relation to each other that their fronts face each other withprojecting parts of the articles abutting against the respective frontfaces of said plates or carriers, so that said projecting parts come tolie between two plates to thereby provide a girder-like formation whosefoot and head are formed by said two plates and the web by the aforesaidprojecting parts of said articles. This girder-like or T-shapedformation contributes to a statically, well-balanced device which can bereadily slid or inserted in a rectangular cardboard box for shipping andtransporting purposes.

For the aforesaid reason, the carrier or plate on which the articles aremounted as well as the boxes in which these plates with the articles areinserted, may be made of thin cardboard or other suitable inexpensivematerial which leads to a considerable saving in material and cost forshipping the articles.

Instead of using tongue-shaped means to hereinabove referred to, it isalso possible to employ screws which usually are sold together with thearticles, to attach the latter temporarily on the plate or carrier whichis preferably made I from cardboard. These screws preferably extendthrough the opening of fixture or rearward parts of the articles andretain the side flaps l2, [3 in position on the rear face of the plateHi.

The front faces of the plates or carriers may be imprinted in variouscolors and may contain pictorial and desicriptive matters which mayrefer to the application and use of the articles thus exhibited ordisplayed. The parallel slots provided in the carriers or plates mayalso be used for temporarily holding and exhibiting the articles in asuspended position, if so desired.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention adevice of the character described in which the various objectshereinabove set forth, together with many thoroughly practicaladvantages, are successfully achieved.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and asmany changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is tobe understood that all matters hereinbefore set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination, in a device for holding and packing a plurality ofarticles, such as towel bars, of at least two substantially flat carrierplates each having a front face and a rear face and each provided with aplurality of substantially parallel slots arranged in staggered relationto each other, with retainer means for position on the rear face of saidcarrier plates, respectively, and adapted to hold said towel bars inposition thereon, said towel bars having each lateral arms terminating,respectively, in rear end flanges and in a transverse rodinterconnecting said arms, said slots passing through said carrierplates and being adapted for the engagement of said arms, respectively,of said towel bars, said end flanges abutting against said rear faces ofsaid carrier plates, said rods extending forwardly of said front facesof said carrier plates, whereby said carrier plates when holding saidtowel bars may be placed in such relation to each other that said frontfaces of said carrier plates face each other and said rods of said towelbars substantially abut against said front faces of said carrier plates,respectively.

2. In a device for holding and packing a plurality of articles of thecharacter described, the combination of at least two substantially flatcarrier plates, each carrier plate having a front face and a rear faceand each provided with a central passageway and a plurality of lateralslots communicating with said passageway, said slots being arranged instaggered relation to each other, with retainer means engaging the rearface of said carrier plates, respectively, and holding in engagedposition said articles on said carrier plates, said articles having eachtwo spaced lateral portions terminating, respectively, in rear endportions and in a transverse front portion interconnecting said lateralportions, said slots being adapted for the engagement of said lateralportions, respectively, of said articles, said end portions abuttingagainst said rear faces of said carrier plates, said front portionsextending beyond said front faces of said carrier plates, whereby saidcarrier plates when holding said articles may be placed in such relationto each other that said front faces of said carrier plates face eachother and said front portions of said articles substantially abutagainst said front faces of said carrier plates, respectively.

3. In a display and packing device, the combination of plate meanshaving a front face, a rear face and opposite side edges, with towelbars having each lateral arms with end flanges at the rear ends of saidarms and with a transverse rod interconnecting said arms at the forwardends thereof, said plate means being provided with a plurality ofsuccessive slots each terminating in a perforation short of one of saidside edges,

each perforation being adapted for the insertion of a respective arm ofsaid towel bars, the distance between said one side edge and oneperforation of a predetermined slot diifering from the distance betweenthe perforation of the succeeding slot and said one side edge, wherebysaid arms extend through said perforations of said slots in staggeredrelation with said end flanges abutting against said rear face of saidplate means and said rod projecting beyond said front face of said platemeans.

4. In a display and packing device for towel bars each having lateral,parallel arms terminat- 2 ing; respectively; in rear end flanges and:in: a transverse front rod interconnecting said arms atthe-forwardendsthereof; alcarrier plate havinga'frontfa'ce and a rearface and: provided with substantially parallel'slots for the engagementof said arms of saidl'towelbars, the-ends of said'slots being arrangedin staggered relation? to each other, whereby-said end flanges ofsaidtowel bars may be disposed to-abut against said rear face of saidcarrier plate, whereasisaid rods ex-'- tendforwardly of saidffront faceof: said carrier plate.

5; In a device for holding a plurality of towel bars, a substantiallyfiat carrier plate having a front faceand a rear face and provided withsuccessiveiy disposed, spaced apart slots arranged in staggered relationto each other, and retainer means engageable with the rear face of saidcarrier plate, said towel bars having eachlateral arms terminating,respectively, in rear end flanges and ina transverse front rod extendingbetween said arms at the-forwardends thereof, said'arms being engageablewith said slots, respectively, whereby said-end flangesabut against saidrear face of said carrier plate and are'maintained in position thereatby said retainermeans, whereas said rods extend in said position spacedfrom said front face of said carrier plate.

6. In a display and packing device for towel bars; a plurality ofcarrier means having each lateral, parallel arms, end flanges at therear ends of'said arms and a transverse rod interconnecting said armsat. the forward ends thereof, each carrier means having a front face anda rear face and provided with elongated, substantially parallel slotsproviding respective spaces therebetween, the lateral ends of said slotsbeing engaged by said arms of said towel bars and being arrangedinstaggered relation. toeach other, so that said end" flanges of saidtowelbars abut against saidrear faces-of said carriermeans and said rodsextend beyond said front facesof said carrier means, said carrier means;when placed in pairsv with their front faces opposite each other,holding said towel bars with their transverse rods extending within saidspaces between said slots, respectively.

7. In a device for holding a pluralityof articles having projectingparts; two substantially flat carrier means each having a front face anda rear face and each provided with successively disposed, spaced apartelongated slots passing through said front face and said rear face, saidslots being arranged in staggered relation to each other and beingadapted to maintain said articles in position on said carrier means withsaid projecting parts extending beyond said front faces, said carriermeans when disposed with their front faces opposite each other beingadapted'to hold said articles therebetween and with said project'- ingparts determining the distance between said two carrier means.

' FELIX F. FLUSS.

GEORGE JELLINEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,734,032 Evans Nov. 5,19291,890,181 Hoffman Dec. 6,1932 2,097,757 Deike Nov. 2,1937 2,356,552 WarrAug. 22, 1944

